Mt > ut (Salt Lake City, Ogden, North Ogden: ski resort, real estate market, rentals)

[Mo2UT]

I don't come by this decision lightly, but I am ready to leave Montana and Utah is in my sights. But where to go? I'm very early in the process, just starting to explore and ask questions. Also, employment is something that will be part of the consideration. I've started a conversation with someone about remote work.

I have friends in the LDS community so I'm not terribly concerned about that factor, although I would like to live in a community that is not predominately LDS. I'm single, pushing 60, and am looking for a community. I'm not really interested in living in the city, for various reasons, but would like to be wihtin an hours drive, on the north side.

Why am I leaving Montana, you may ask. I've been her for a decade and it's been terribly isolating. Missoula, Bozeman, or Livingston, it hasn't mattered. I'm an outgoing joiner and still, it's been rough. While I have had some amazing time and have some close friends, it just hasn't clicked like I hope it would. I also miss the amentiies of a city. Culture, sports, resturants, etc. Oh, and not seeing the same ten men on a dating site. Seriously, it's pretty awful!

Again, just getting a general feel of where to go. I chose the north side as part of that support system lives about 90 minutes north of the city.

Thanks for any input and information.

[markg91359]

Originally Posted by Mo2UT

I don't come by this decision lightly, but I am ready to leave Montana and Utah is in my sights. But where to go? I'm very early in the process, just starting to explore and ask questions. Also, employment is something that will be part of the consideration. I've started a conversation with someone about remote work.

I have friends in the LDS community so I'm not terribly concerned about that factor, although I would like to live in a community that is not predominately LDS. I'm single, pushing 60, and am looking for a community. I'm not really interested in living in the city, for various reasons, but would like to be wihtin an hours drive, on the north side.

Why am I leaving Montana, you may ask. I've been her for a decade and it's been terribly isolating. Missoula, Bozeman, or Livingston, it hasn't mattered. I'm an outgoing joiner and still, it's been rough. While I have had some amazing time and have some close friends, it just hasn't clicked like I hope it would. I also miss the amentiies of a city. Culture, sports, resturants, etc. Oh, and not seeing the same ten men on a dating site. Seriously, it's pretty awful!

Again, just getting a general feel of where to go. I chose the north side as part of that support system lives about 90 minutes north of the city.

Thanks for any input and information.

You might consider the Ogden area. I think its going to come as close to meeting your criteria as any place in Utah will. If you go further north than Ogden it will be more "predominately LDS". It is within an hours drive of Salt Lake City. Having lived in both the Ogden and Salt Lake area, I think on the whole people in Ogden are a little more willing to make friends and a little more outgoing than they are in Salt Lake. I would say the downside is that the best restaurants, Jazz basketball, theater etc. are all going to be down in Salt Lake.

[moguldreamer]

In addition to Ogden, consider Park City. It is a town that welcomes newcomers - there even is a Park City Newcomers club https://www.parkcitynewcomers.org/. It is not predominantly LDS. Most everyone is from somewhere else and hence making friends is pretty easy. It is about 20-30 minutes from Salt Lake City; add another 10 minutes (15 at rush hour) to get to the SLC International Airport. Air quality in Park City is almost always very good, whereas down in Salt Lake City it can get smoggy from time to time.

The downside to Park City is the price of housing. Park City is a ski resort town and the price of real estate is pretty high compared to down in SLC.

[SWFL_Native]

Heber / Midway would be a great place to check out. Lots of outdoor activists access but gotten pricey.

[Mo2UT]

Originally Posted by markg91359

You might consider the Ogden area. I think its going to come as close to meeting your criteria as any place in Utah will. If you go further north than Ogden it will be more "predominately LDS". It is within an hours drive of Salt Lake City. Having lived in both the Ogden and Salt Lake area, I think on the whole people in Ogden are a little more willing to make friends and a little more outgoing than they are in Salt Lake. I would say the downside is that the best restaurants, Jazz basketball, theater etc. are all going to be down in Salt Lake.

I was just actually looking at rentals in North Ogden and it looks like it may be a good place to try. I really don't want to live in the city and deal with the inversion, but wanted to be close enough to drive in and go out to restaurants or games or shows.

Actually, one of my dearest friends lives up in Wellsville and is in the Mormon community. I've had nothing but wonderful experiences, but I do understand it can be difficult in some areas more than others.

[Mo2UT]

Originally Posted by moguldreamer

In addition to Ogden, consider Park City. It is a town that welcomes newcomers - there even is a Park City Newcomers club https://www.parkcitynewcomers.org/. It is not predominantly LDS. Most everyone is from somewhere else and hence making friends is pretty easy. It is about 20-30 minutes from Salt Lake City; add another 10 minutes (15 at rush hour) to get to the SLC International Airport. Air quality in Park City is almost always very good, whereas down in Salt Lake City it can get smoggy from time to time.

The downside to Park City is the price of housing. Park City is a ski resort town and the price of real estate is pretty high compared to down in SLC.

Park City might be to spendy for me. I'm leaving an area where real estate market is absolutely ludacrous, so I don't want to walk into the same situation.

[ejisme]

If you want to be in a small town near Ogden then maybe look around Morgan, UT. All the basic shopping and dining services are in Morgan, and Ogden is less than 30 minutes away.

[2ATexan]

So.... If you're moving to Utah because the place you want to leave is isolating, you may want to reconsider. This is coming from a non-lds transplant. Had I known how it would be here, than I never would have moved here. LDS are nice people, but they stick to themselves outside of a very surface level interaction with you. Don't expect intimate relationships with nearly 60% of the population.

Utah has some of the worst food in the country, but its trying to change. The only place with culture, sports, and food would be Salt Lake City. Park City has good food as well. Ogden as others have suggested is horrible for those things. It used to be very affordable in Ogden, but in reality, unless you want to live in a 2/1 delapitated house next to crackheads, then the cost of living isn't THAT much behind the greater Salt Lake City area. There is no culture in Ogden, its a farce trust me.

Dating for me has been atrocious. Dont expect the wide variety of third places that most cities have. Utah doesn't have that, since most of the OG inhabitants get that from their Church. When they zone the city, parks are often utilized for family/kids, and dont have third places like Austin, Phoenix, Denver, or Raleigh for example, where you will get a lot of younger singles mingling. What we do have here is beautiful mountains, best hiking trails I've ever had access to, and some of the best skiing if thats your cup of tea. As great as those things are, many of the outdoor activities are either done solo or with friends and family that you have met outside of those activities.

Salt Lake City is really the only area that I can recommend here, and that also comes down to your politics. I am right wing, so my politics dont jive with Salt Lake City. Since you're a woman, you will probably have an easier time dating regardless of your politics since you'll have the yuppy college grads in SLC and the options of military men who are often right leaning.

My advice would be to find a monthly rental. If you look up travel nursing websites they will point you to the good ones. Stay a couple months are see if you like the area before investing in a move.

EDIT: Oh I didn't realize you were 60 until re-reading your post. I still would stick with the locations, but disregard my dating rant as I'm a man in his 30's.

[Mo2UT]

Originally Posted by 2ATexan

So.... If you're moving to Utah because the place you want to leave is isolating, you may want to reconsider. This is coming from a non-lds transplant. Had I known how it would be here, than I never would have moved here. LDS are nice people, but they stick to themselves outside of a very surface level interaction with you. Don't expect intimate relationships with nearly 60% of the population.


My advice would be to find a monthly rental. If you look up travel nursing websites they will point you to the good ones. Stay a couple months are see if you like the area before investing in a move.

EDIT: Oh I didn't realize you were 60 until re-reading your post. I still would stick with the locations, but disregard my dating rant as I'm a man in his 30's.

Ha..yes. I'm doing as much research as i can to find the right spot.

I hope things pick up for you in the dating world. It sucks.